International Journal of Medical Laboratory
Volume:2 Issue: 2, Aug 2015

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infects the liver and causes acute and chronic hepatitis, hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis. HBV has been divided to eight genotypes (A–H) and subgenotypes of A, B, C and F. For the first time, we determined HBV genotypes in infected samples by INNO-LiPA method in Yazd, central province of Iran. This study was performed on samples suspected of HBV infection. The sera of fifteen out of ninety-five samples that had shown positive results by RT-PCR were used for HBV genotyping by using INNO-LiPA HBV genotyping assay.Results and  Seven (46.7%) out of fifteen samples were female. The mean age of the patients was 37.8±14.3 years. The average number copy of HBV in infected samples was 1.04×106±4.74×105 Copies/ml. All fifteen infected samples had genotype D. Our results showed that HBV genotype D was the only detectable genotype in Yazd, central province of Iran. A further study with a larger sample size in different provinces of Iran is needed to identify HBV genotypes in Iran.

Acinetobacter baumannii is mostly a cause of septicaemia, pneumonia and urinary tract infections following hospitalization of patients with more severe illnesses. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and detection of the most prevalent virulence genes in A. baumannii isolated from hospital infections of two largest hospitals of Tehran, Iran. In this cross-sectional study, 500 clinical specimens were obtained from various types of hospital infections over a period of 6 month, consisting of blood (98 samples), phlegm (141), urine (92), pus (134) and cerebrospinal fluid (35) from patients admitted to the Payambaran and Baqiyatallah Hospitals in Tehran. The isolated organisms were identified based on colony morphology, microscopic characteristics and various biochemical tests according to some standard laboratory methods. Conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to confirm the identity of the isolates. A. baumannii was isolated from 121 (24.2%) of the 500 cultured samples. The highest isolation of A. baumannii was observed in blood samples while cerebrospinal fluid had the least. The isolation rate recorded for blood samples in this study was 43.87%. fimH gene was the most virulence gene detected in 74% of samples, sfa/focDE and afa/draBC genes were next highly detected genes, respectively. The lowest isolations were observed in PapG III, papC and PapG II genes. High prevalence of A. baumannii and their virulence genes showed hospital prevalence of these bacteria, thereby causing many problems for infections control and treatment. Therefore, determining this bacterium by molecular methods and designing conservation programs for the control of different infections in parts of the hospital seems to be urgently needed.

Our previous study has demonstrated that essence of Carum copticum reduces contraction activity of ileum in rat. The present study was designed to find out the effects of nonpolar fraction of Carum copticum essence (NFCCE) on mechanical activity of the isolated ileum in rat. For evaluation of spasmolythic property of fraction, different doses of the solution were added to organ bath after acetylcholine with concentration of 10-4 molar (M), and for assessment of antispasmodic effect of fraction, different doses of the solution were added to the organ bath before acetylcholine with concentration of 10-9 up to 10-2 M. Then isotonic contractions of ileum were recorded through an isolated tissue chamber in an organ bath using oscillographic device. Our findings showed that the spasmolytic effect of NFCCE in concentrations of 25, 50, and 100 ng/ml significantly reduces acetylcholine (10-4M)-induced contractions (p< 0.05). Also antispasmodic effect of NFCCE on logarithmic concentrations of acetylcholine (10-9 up to 10-2M) indicates that in the presence of 10-3 M acetylcholine, the maximum (100%) and minimum (84.9%), inhibition of contraction is induced by concentrations of 100 ng/ml and 25 ng/ml, respectively (p< 0.05). The spasmolytic effect of this study is probably resulted by anti-cholinergic response of NFCCE on isolated ileum of rats.

Finding prevalence of chicken anemia virus (CAV) infection in native chickens is necessary to avoid transmission of infection to commercial flocks. In this paper we attempt to describe molecular detection of chicken anemia virus in native Larry-breed chickens in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiyari province in Iran for the first time. Blood samples were collected from 100 native Larry-breed chickens (5-8 months old) in Shahrekord, Lordegan, Brogen and Koohrang, i.e.four cities of Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiyari province. To detect CAV, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was undertaken on isolated DNA from blood samples using a pair of CAV specific primers that produced a 374 base pair fragment. PCR analysis detected CAV in 12 of 100 (12%) tested blood samples. The results revealed that native Larry chicks were not free from CAV infection in Chaharmahal-va-Bakhtiyari province and vaccination against CAV should be taken into account in native farms.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a kind of pulmonary diseases characterized by chronic obstruction of lung that is in the form of a diffuse narrowing of airways resulting in air flow resistance. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is genetically relatively common risk factor in patients with COPD throughout the world and the exact cause of its prevalence is unknown. We therefore performed a study to determine the frequency of AAT deficiency in patients with severe COPD compared to the healthy controls. In this cross-sectional case control study, AAT serum level in 60 patients with severe COPD for whom the history and spirometry test with FEV1<50% had been confirmed based on gold criteria as well as 60 healthy controls, were tested using commercial kit and nephelometry method. The lowest serum levels of AAT measured in patients was <0.349 g/l and the highest was 3.099 g/l. These were obtained in healthy subjects as 1.180 g/l and 4.195 g/l respectively. Out of 60 patients, 4 (6.7%) had partial deficiency of AAT (AAT<1 g/l) and 6 (10%) had definite shortage of AAT (AAT<0.5 g/l). In healthy subjects, we did not find any definite and relative lack of AAT. The comparison of results obtained from these two groups indicated a significant difference between frequency of AAT (P=0.001). Our findings revealed the frequency of AAT deficiency, as a factor involved in COPD disease, to be 10% and can be the reason for the high prevalence and severity of COPD in Zahedan city.

Infectious mononucleosis (IM)is the clinical manifestation of primary infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Humans are the only known reservoir of EBV. Regarding the problems in diagnosis of the disease, the purpose of this study was to assess Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and Nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) as a diagnostic tool for this disease. 50 samples were collected from the suspicious patients with EBV and 50 samples from the healthy individuals as the control and both techniques were applied for them. The results showed that 76% of the patients and 14% of the control samples had EBV DNA in serum with PCR. Statistical analysis showed significant difference between the patient and the control samples for infection with EBV (P < 0.0001). Samples were classified into three groups according to the ELISA that were acute phase (20%), recent infection or convalescence phase (14%) and past infection (66%), respectively. Comparing the two methods, the results of the ELISA test indicated that ELISA would be the best method to be used for the diagnosis of IM. Our results suggest that serology may be more sensitive and could be performed as the initial screening test for acute EBV infection. Although, the PCR test is routinely used as an accurate method for detection of the pathogens with a higher specificity and sensitivity comparing the immunoassay, in IM, ELISA seems to be the best method for detecting antibodies against EBV.

Hydatidosis is a major health problem caused by larva stage of cestodes belonging to the genus Echinococcus granulosus with a cosmopolitan distribution. Zoonoses have a mountain side distribution in Iran. Echinococcus granulosus takes places in two models; sylvatic and domestic. Both life-cycles are present in Iran and human is considered as an afferent host. The prevalence rate of hydatidosis is different, ranging from 1-220 cases in 100000 individuals and mortality rate of hydatidosis up to 2-4%. The aim of the present study was to explore the frequency of human hydatic cyst in Yazd province, Iran from 2006 to2011. This is a retrospective study applied through census for five years which investigated all of the profiles concerned with surgeries. A total of 26911 surgeries were performed on individuals for five years; 12 cases (0.045%) were infected with hydatic cyst out of which 9 cases (75%) were affected through liver, 1 case (33.34%) through pulmonary, 1 case (33.33%) through intestine and 1 case (33.33%) through cerebellum. 50% of the infected individuals were females. Morbidity age was 8-69 years, 7(66.67%) cases who were infected with Echinococcus granulosus were natives and 5 cases (33.33%) were non-natives. Among non-native individuals 2 cases were foreigners. Yazd province is a dry area and the desert cycle of Echinococcus granulosus is present in it. Jackals and wolves act as final hosts and goats and camels are the intermediated hosts. Based on the findings compared with those in other areas, the prevalence rate in these areas are similar requiring more control in using water, beverages, fruits and vegetables.

In this lab trial, the effect of scaffold based on human serum albumin (HSA) and hydroxyapatite nanoparticles (HA NPs) on mouse spermatogonial cell line (SCL) was investigated. To synthesize HA NPs, calcium nitrate and diammonium phosphate at pH 13 were gently added and heated at 100 ºC for 24 hours. Then serial concentrations of HA NPs was separately added to 500 mg/mL of HSA, and immediately placed in the 100 ºC water bath. Then, all scaffolds were cut, and incubated with SCL for 6h, 12h, and 24h at 37 ºC. Finally, the cell count was read, and homing of the cells was examined by optical microscopy. It was found that the quantity of cells did not change by increase in concentration of HA NPs. On the other hand, increased incubation time led to decrease in cell count. Light microscopic observation of scaffold cavities after incubation showed the homing of spermatogonial cells. This promising scaffold must be more investigated in vitro and in vivo, and may be suitable for making artificial testis.